Screw-nail



(ModeL) H. K. JONES.

1447055555 //7 l s/vfar,

N. PETERS. Pholcrulhngnphur. Wnhinglon. 01c.

7 screws or screw-nails of the class which have I are also specially adapted for being driven other tool for turning them axially, and the f, which is long enough for'iipsetting' to form screw-nail.

IINITE A STATES ATENT Farce.

HORACE K. JONES, OF HARTFORD, ASSIGNOR TO THE RUSSELL 8t ERVVIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

SCREW-NAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355.825, dated January 11, 1887.

Application filed August 4, 1885.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known. that I, HORACE K. JONES, "a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Screw-Nails, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in distinctive and continuous screw-threads, and

part way into the wood by a hammer and the remainder of the way by a screw-driver or chief object of my improvement is to produce a better screw-nail, and. particularly a better head.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the rod or wire from which my screw-nail is formed, that portion of said wire which is on the right of the line as as constituting the blank for a single Fig. 2 is a side elevation of. my screw-nail, and Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

In the manufacture from wire of nails having a thread or spiral barb it has been customary to first barb the wire for at least the whole length of a nail-blank,and form the head by upsetting or heading a portionof the wire which was thus barbed. The several coils of the barbs in the portion thus headed were simply compressed together, leaving the head full of seams. These seams evidently impair the strength of the head and make it very liable to part or break under the action of a screw-d river. In case of heads formed on wire which is very deeply barbed, the defect in the heads will be greater than when they are formed with shallow barbs.

I form my screw-nail from a rod or wire of metal by first forming the barbed portion 6 on the wire, leaving a contiguous plain portion,

the head, and also to form such length of unbarbed body of the screw-nail as maybe desired. This threaded or barbed portionI form in what is termed a ratchet-threadthat is, with the side of the thread which faces the point beveled off or inclined, while the opposite side is practically at right angles to the Serial No. L73A9E). (Modem axis of the screw-nail. The pitch of the thread is not very sharp, and is not intended to rotate the screw-nail to such an extent as that the thread thereon will follow the thread in the hole made by said screw-nail when it is driven into the wood by a hammer. I form the thread by rolling or cutting a groove, the bottom of which extends below the original surface of the rod or wire, thereby producing what I term a sunken thread. portion f may, if desired, be only of sufficient length for forming the head, and the barbed portion in that case willextend close up to the head of the finished screw-nail. The plain portion is headed by upsetting in heading dies. The head g, formed therefrom, will be seamless and solid throughout. It should, however, be provided with the driving-slot h,

The plain After the head is formed I out the screw-nail from the rod or wire at that end of the barbed portion which is farthest from the head-as,for instance, on line an m, Fig. '1and at the same time I form the diamond-point i, said point being of a pyramidal form, preferably square in cross-section.

By my invention I produce a screw-nail having a pyramidal point, a continuous ratchetthread, and a head of solid stock, which head is seamless, and therefore much stronger than that of the ordinary nail of this class. I am also enabled to thread the screw-nail as deeply as may be desired without in the least impairing the strength of the head, and I produce my screw-nail at a small cost.

,In use my screw nail may be driven into either hard or soft wood for its whole length by a hammer, and, if desired, it may be withdrawn at any time by turning the screw-nail in the direction for unscrewing it from the Wood. My screw-nailis,however,principallyintended to'be used by driving it only part way into the wood with a hammer, and then driving it home'with a screw-driver,'the pyramidal point and the continuous spiral ratchet barb being found efficient in causing the screw-nail, after first being started, to force its 'own way into the wood, either hard or soft, without previously preparinga hole for its reception. The

thread when the screw-nail is driven fully home by a hand-hammer; but this pyramidal point,in connection with a head provided with means for rotating the screw-nail, is very importa'nt when the screw-nail is to be screwed home, the point then acting, like a brad-awl,to prepare the way for the thread.

,I am aware that the patent to Bray, No. 289,333, shows a drivescrew having a solid head, a sunken spiral ratchet barb or thread, aconoidal point,and a cylindrical partbetween the base of the point and the commencement ofthe thread, and I hereby disclaim the same.

Another patent shows a drive screw or nail having asolid and slotted-head, a raised thread, and a conoidal point, while a prior patent to myselfshows a nail having a head full of seams,

a spiral ratchet-barb, and a pyramidal point; I

but in this nail the round head was not slotted, and therefore was without means for screwing the screw-nail home.

Another patent shows a nail having a longitudinally-grooved body, a pyramidal point, and a ratchet-thread on the ribs between the grooves; but this nail cannot be screwed home by reason of the breaks in the thread at the grooves, and the pyramidal point has no boring I function. All of said prior art is hereby disi claimed.

I I claim as my invention j 1. As a new article of manufacture, th herein-described screw-nail formed of wire and having a head of solid stock, a continuous i ratchetthread, and the pyramidal point eX- 5 tending from the end of said thread, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2, As a new article of manufacture, the herein-described screw-nail formed of wire and having a continuous sunken ratchetthread, the pyramidal point extending from the end of said thread, and a head adapted to be engaged by a driver for turning the screw-nail axially, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

WVitnesscs:

M. S. WIARD, WV. 0. RUssELL.

HORACE K. JONES. 

